


Friends, and how to make them

by greywolfheir



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Professors, Canon Asexual Character, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:02:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26165347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greywolfheir/pseuds/greywolfheir
Summary: Jonathan Sims is the new Head of the English Department at the Magnus School of Fine Arts and Humanities who has a hard time getting along with his coworkers. Luckily, Georgie is there to help him along.
Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist
Comments: 17
Kudos: 130
Collections: Rusty Quill Big Bang 2020





	Friends, and how to make them

**Author's Note:**

> First, I'd like to thank my talented artist and partner for this project, Lee, who you can find on tumblr @nebuleeart and on twitter and instagram @nebu_lee
> 
> Second, I'd like to thank the mods for making this event possible and for all the hard work they put into it.
> 
> Third, I'd like to preface this by saying I did absolutely no research into British Uni's because I didn't want to get too into my head about it so lets all pretend they're in some sort of weird British-American fusion. It's fiction, y'all!
> 
> I really do hope you enjoy this fic!

Jonathan Sims--the new head English professor of the Magnus School of Fine Arts and Humanities--sighed and set his bag down next to his desk. He had barely sat down and pulled out his laptop when there came a knock at his door.

“Sorry to interrupt, Jon,” Sasha said as she poked her head through the door. “Just wondering if you happened to find those notes on Chaucer yet?”

Jon shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. Apparently a drawer marked ‘Medieval Literature’ was too obvious a place to look.”

“No worries,” Sasha assured him. “I’m sure I can come up with something!”

“Thank you, Sasha,” Jon said with genuine gratitude. As the director of graduate studies, Sasha was honestly unbelievable in how reliable and hard-working she was. Jon was surprised when the dean chose him instead of Sasha to be head professor. Still, he didn’t have time to focus on that today. They were a week from the semester’s first day and Jon had work to do. He’d barely begun said work when there was yet another knock on the door.

“Come in,” Jon called, his fingers still flying over the laptop keys.

“Good morning, Jon!” came the cheery voice and Jon suppressed the urge to groan.

“Good morning, Martin,” Jon grumbled, still not looking up from his work. A tea mug was settled next to him.

“Just came to see if you needed anything,” Martin said, still cheery. Honestly, at this hour, it was almost annoying how cheery Martin could be. He was the poetry professor in the English department and one of the most incompetent professors Jon had ever seen. When he wasn’t badly explaining poetry to students, Martin spent his time cheerily making tea for his coworkers. Jon despised the man.

“I’m fine, Martin,” Jon answered. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m a bit busy at the moment.”

“O-oh, of course!” Martin said, and Jon could almost see the ridiculous blush that always graced the man’s face when Jon said…well, when Jon said nearly anything. “I’ll just…go then.”

“Thank you, Martin,” Jon said, still typing away as he heard the door click.

Hours later, when Jon realized he was supposed to be headed home, he looked over and saw the quite cold tea and rolled his eyes. Now he’d have to take it to the break room. Jon hoped everyone had left by now.

No luck. Tim, the undergraduate director, was cleaning his own mug.

“Hey-o boss-man!” Tim called over his shoulder. “Working late again?”

“Always,” Jon muttered. “What’s keeping you here? Don’t tell me Folklore still isn’t finished.”

“Oh, it’s finished,” Tim assured him. “Just had to put some final touches on American.”

“Good,” Jon said, awkwardly shuffling as Tim blocked the sink.

“Oh, hey,” Tim said, finally stepping over to put his mug away, “Martin, Sasha and I were planning on going out for drinks Friday, if you want to join us. It’s a sort of pre-semester celebration.”

Jon frowned down at his now-sudsy mug. He had far too much work to do this weekend to go out for drinks.

“Oh, come on, boss-man,” Tim pleaded. “We’ve all been working our asses off getting this semester off right. We deserve one night off.”

Jon sighed. “I don’t think so, Tim. You go, but I’ve got far too much to do.”

Tim simply nodded in response. After all, Jon always turned down drinks. He turned down everything. He simply didn’t have time for fraternizing.

> **Groupchat: ‘Lish Wist**
> 
> **Tim:** Hi guys, welcome to the chat! You’ve been added because you’re part of the English Department
> 
> **Tim:** I figured we would need to keep tabs on each other throughout the school year.
> 
> **Sasha:** ‘Lish Wist? Tim what does that even mean??
> 
> **Tim:** It’s a play on words Sasha
> 
> **Tim:** You know, like Wish List but switched around
> 
> **Martin:** What is ‘Lish?
> 
> **Tim:** Eng-LISH Martin, get with the program!
> 
> **Sasha:** No I’m with Martin on this one

The first day of the semester went about as smoothly as Jon had expected. That is, it was a rubbish-fire of a disaster. Still, they all managed to survive without looking too worse for wear, and the freshmen barely noticed—although that hardly counted for anything. Freshmen wouldn’t notice the school caught fire if they’d set it themselves.

“Great first day, huh?” Martin asked as he knocked on Jon’s door. He was holding a tea in his hand.

Jon was too tired to hold back the glare he leveled at Martin.

“Well—I, uh, I mean it could have gone _better_ , of course, but we’ve put a lot of work into this,” Martin corrected.

“On the contrary, Martin, I rather think it couldn’t have been worse,” Jon grumbled, although he took the proffered tea. “I’m not sure how you couldn’t have noticed.”

“Oh, well, it’s not like the school went up in flames,” Martin said with a huff that could have been either annoyance or a laugh.

“Yes, well, at least it didn’t do that,” Jon agreed sarcastically. He went back to work, and barely noticed Martin’s departure.

The next Friday, Jon found himself exhausted to the point of misspelling common words. It had been a long week trying to keep the English department afloat, and he was seriously concerned about collapsing from the stress. Which might have explained why, when Sasha knocked on his door at the end of the day and asked if he wanted to go to the pub, Jon said yes. Even Sasha couldn’t hide her surprise.

Jon regretted his decision the second he stepped into the pub. It was far too loud, far too boisterous, and far too warm. Still, he’d agreed, and he needed to go through with this.

Tim, Sasha and Martin all seemed comfortable, like they were close friends. _Because they probably are_ , Jon reminded himself. This wasn’t the first time they’d asked him out for drinks. They probably did this all the time. Even Martin, who was generally awkward at work, laughed easily at Tim’s jokes.

Jon was halfway through his first pint when Tim elbowed him, nearly tipping over his drink and asked, “So boss-man, what do you do for fun?”

“F-for fun?” Jon asked.

“I told you,” Sasha insisted. “He’s a workaholic. You can’t ask a man like that to have hobbies.”

Jon, feeling suddenly offended, countered with, “I have hobbies.”

“Really?” Martin sounded like he hadn’t meant to ask the question. A blush began to spread across his cheeks. “I-I mean, I just…never heard you mention any.”

“That’s because, unlike, all of you, I am a _professional_ at work,” Jon said, rolling his eyes.

“Oh, you love us,” Sasha laughed.

“Yeah,” Tim agreed. “Can’t get enough.”

Jon rolled his eyes again.

“So, um, what exactly are those hobbies, then?” Martin asked.

Jon scrambled to come up with an answer. He settled on the only thing he could think of. “Podcasts.”

Tim barked out a laugh. “No surprises with old-man Sims. Let me guess—BBC News Hour?”

“No,” Jon argued, then immediately regretted it when he realized he was going to have to clarify. “I listen to What the Ghost, mostly.”

“ _Really_ ?” Sasha gasped. “I _love_ What the Ghost!”

“I never pegged you for a paranormal man,” Tim said.

“I’m not, really, I just—” _Damnit_ , Jon really shouldn’t be speaking when he’s drunk.

“Just what?” Martin asked.

“I know the host,” Jon muttered. “Georgie Barker.”

“You _do_?” Sasha gasped again. “What’s she like?”

Jon shrugged. “Sort of like how she is in the podcast. But you don’t want my opinion of her.”

“Why’s that?” Tim asked. “Did you used to date her or something?”

Jon bit his lip and everyone’s eyes widened. Then, for some odd reason, Tim and Sasha’s eyes flickered to Martin and back simultaneously.

“It was a long time ago,” Jon said defensively. “But yes, and it didn’t end well. We still talk, though.”

“You have to introduce me!” Sasha exclaimed.

Jon shrugged. “I’ll see what she says.”

The conversation moved on after that, but Martin got weirdly quiet for the rest of the night and left before anyone else. Soon after, Tim and Sasha began paying for their drinks and Jon realized the night was nearing an end.

It actually hadn’t turned out as bad as he’d expected. 

Later in the week, Jon was in the middle of a class, but he could barely get the students’ attention. They all seemed to be whispering to each other about something.

“Alright, this is ridiculous,” Jon said. “Will someone tell me what’s happened that’s so interesting?”

“Professor Hussein from Criminal Justice just transferred to Education,” one student--Jon never kept track of his students’ names--said. “That’s the third professor he’s convinced to switch over this semester.”

“I didn’t know you were all so avidly following the school’s politics,” Jon mused out loud. “But can we get back to class now?”

He didn’t wait for an answer, just went back to the lecture. After all, what did it matter to him that some professors were switching over to Education?

> **Group Chat: ‘Lish Wist**
> 
> **Sasha:** Is Jon coming to drinks this Friday?
> 
> **Martin:** No. Told me he’s busy
> 
> **Tim:** Bummer. Should I add him to the chat?
> 
> **Sasha:** NO
> 
> **Martin:** NO
> 
> **Tim:** Geez just a question guys
> 
> **Sasha:** He’s our BOSS, Tim

“Georgie, I really need to—”

“Jon,” Georgie sighed. “I haven’t seen you since last semester. You’ve holed yourself up in this new job and we haven’t _talked about it_.”

Jon let out a put-upon sigh. “Georgie, I told you when I have _time_ —“’

“And you have time _now_ ,” Georgie interrupted again. “It’s legally mandated that you take a lunch. Hell, it’s biologically mandated that you _eat_ for once. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you’ve lost weight.”

Jon glared at Georgie, trying to find a way to argue. Luckily, he was interrupted in that moment by a knock on the door.

“Come in,” Jon called. The door was opened just a crack and Martin popped his head in.

“Hi, Jon, I was wondering—oh! Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know—”

“Come in, Martin,” Jon sighed. “Did you need something?”

Martin kept looking back and forth between Georgie—perched on Jon’s desk—and Jon. “Um, I was just wondering if you…wanted something from the café? I was on my way, and I—”

“Thank you, Martin, but I’ve already got plans for lunch.” Under his breath, he muttered, “Apparently.”

“Oh, alright then,” Martin said, wringing his hands awkwardly. “I’ll just, um, go then.”

Jon didn’t say anything as Martin left but Georgie turned to him as soon as the door closed with a wicked grin on her face.

“What is it?” Jon asked, almost afraid of the answer.

“That man likes you,” Georgie stated. When Jon made a face, she gasped and added, “Oh my God, and _you_ like _him!_ ”

“I think you’ll find that everyone here would disagree with that statement,” Jon countered.

“They don’t know you like I do,” Georgie argued. “And that wasn’t a denial.”

Jon rolled his eyes. “Please, Georgie, Martin is…well, frankly he’s the worst professor here.”

“Doesn’t mean you don’t like him,” Georgie said in a sing-song voice.

“Can we just go to lunch?”

“Yes, although that is a _classic_ deflection, and you’re going to tell me all about this man while we walk there.”

Jon convinced Georgie to drop the subject of Martin Blackwood by the time they made it to their destination, but Jon couldn’t deny that she’d detected…well _something_ . Martin was the worst professor on staff, sure, but there was something almost charming about the man. His curly hair and soft demeanor for one. It didn’t help that he was nearly a foot taller than Jon, which Jon wasn’t going to deny was attractive in its own right. Still, looks weren’t everything, and Jon was far too busy to start a relationship with _anyone_ , let alone his coworker.

“How’s Melanie?” Jon asked as they took their seats.

“She’s doing well!” Georgie said, pleasant as always at the mention of her girlfriend. Then she frowned and collected herself. “Well, _we’re_ doing well. Her colleagues and her aren’t getting along, though—”

“I can’t imagine why,” Jon mumbled. He and Melanie got on like a forest fire. They were always at each other’s throats and never had anything good to say to each other.

“Oh, don’t be rude, Jon. Besides, she’s thinking of transferring to the English department, so you should think about getting along with her.”

“What? How?” Jon asked.

“She majored in English for her undergraduate before she got her Master’s in film studies,” Georgie explained. “Besides, Elias said he’d be happy to have her.”

“She’s already talked to Elias? And you didn’t think to tell me?”

“If you got out of your office more often, it might have come up sooner,” Georgie teased. “But she didn’t want me telling you anyway so _don’t_ go spreading it around.”

“I won’t,” Jon promised.

After that, lunch went well, and they shared pleasant conversation. After they exited the restaurant, Georgie kissed Jon on the cheek.

“I’ve got to head back to my place before my next class, but we _need_ to meet up more often,” she said. “And, maybe think about talking to Martin outside of work? You need to make more friends, Jon.”

Jon rolled his eyes.

“I mean it!” Georgie insisted. “And if it turns into something more, all the better!”

“You’re relentless, Georgina Barker,” Jon sighed.

“And yet, I’m your only friend, Jonathan Sims,” Georgie said with a wink. “Think about it, at least.”

“Goodbye, Georgie.”

“Goodbye, Jon!”

“So who was that in your office the other day?”

Jon looked up from the papers he was grading to find Martin standing next to his desk.

“Sorry, what?”

“That woman who was in your office the other day—when I asked you if you wanted anything from the café—was she a friend of yours?”

“Oh! Oh, yes,” Jon answered. “That was Georgie Barker. From What the Ghost.”

Martin had an odd expression on his face at this news but Jon barely had time to interpret it before he replaced it with a smile. “Well it’s nearly lunch now and I’m headed to the café again. Do you want anything?”

“Oh, um, no, thank you, Martin,” Jon said, already heading back to his work.

“Alright, then, let me know if you need anything,” Martin said, heading out.

Jon didn’t reply.

> **Group Chat: ‘Lish Wist**
> 
> **Sasha:** Anyone know who that woman was in Jon’s office?
> 
> **Martin:** Apparently it was Georgie Barker
> 
> **Tim:** What, his ex?
> 
> **Sasha:** AND HOST OF WHAT THE GHOST
> 
> **Sasha:** Jon said he would introduce me to her but he didn’t :(
> 
> **Tim:** Cheer up Sasha. You’ll get the chance
> 
> **Tim:** And cheer up Martin. Exes are exes for a reason
> 
> **Martin:** I wasn’t sad!
> 
> **Tim:** LOL

It wasn’t that Jon didn’t _want_ friends. It was just that he was… _busy_ . Which he knew if he said out loud to Georgie, she would slap him. But it was _true_ . Between organizing the whole English department, leading lectures, and grading papers, there wasn’t _time_ for Jon to establish a close bond with anyone. Besides, he’d gone out to the pub with his coworkers enough times. They _were_ his friends, as much as they could be. Weren’t they?

That evening, Jon was about to dump out his tea mug in the breakroom, when Sasha walked in. Thoughts about Georgie’s words still on his mind, Jon couldn’t stop himself from blurting out, “Sasha are we friends?”

Sasha simply laughed, which Jon didn’t take as a good sign. Then she looked over and sobered up. “Oh you’re serious?”

“Yes, Sasha, although I suppose I can take that as a no, then?”

“Look, I’m really sorry, Jon,” Sasha said before Jon could make his retreat. “I don’t mean to laugh, it’s just—well, you’re my boss. I like you well enough and we get along just fine. But in the end, we’re just people who work together. I mean what’s one thing we share in common?”

“We…both like English?” Jon said

“Name my favorite book, then.” When Jon floundered, she gave him a sad smile. “It’s Pride and Prejudice, a book you’ve been known to hate. We don’t like English the same way.”

“Alright, fine,” Jon conceded. “I suppose I’m just…”

“Realizing how little friends you have?”

“That obvious?”

“Well, you’re here literally _all the time_ , Jon. People with friends don’t do that,” Sasha pointed out. She thought for a moment and then said, “You should talk to Martin, though. He seems to want to be your friend.”

“Why does everyone--?” Jon smothered a growl of frustration. “ _Fine_ , I’ll go talk to Martin.”

“Listen, Jon,” Sasha began, suddenly serious, “when you do, try and enjoy it, okay? Martin’s a person worth listening to.”

Jon nodded. “Alright. Thanks, Sasha.”

The next day, when Martin inevitably knocked on the door to Jon’s office and asked him to lunch, Jon looked up and said yes.

“That’s alr—wait did you just say yes?” Martin said, doing a double-take.

“Yes, Martin,” Jon chuckled. “I’ve looked at student papers for far too long and I…need something to eat.”

“Oh!” Martin said. “Well alright then.”

Jon stood up and began to grab his coat.

“It’s-it’s just to the café, you know,” Martin began rambling. “Nothing fancy, just thought I’d grab a sandwich.”

“That’s perfectly alright, Martin,” Jon said, taking the other side of the doorknob that Martin was holding. “A sandwich sounds just fine.”

Their walk over to the café was mostly silent. Martin kept stealing glances over at Jon and Jon kept pretending not to notice. When they finally grabbed their sandwiches and sat down, however, Martin finally spoke up.

“What changed?” he asked suddenly.

“Hm?” Jon asked through his first bite.

“I-I mean, don’t get me wrong, I appreciate you coming along, but you _never_ come to lunch with me. Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen you eat lunch at all.”

Jon snorted. “Don’t be absurd, Martin. I eat lunch.”

“Okay, but tea and biscuits don’t count as lunch,” Martin countered.

Jon smiled at that, and he noticed Martin’s cheeks turn a brighter shade of pink when he did.

“Fine, I _sometimes_ eat lunch,” Jon admitted. “It’s just that I don’t normally have the time. And by the time I _do_ have the time, it’s the end of the day.”

“So what you’re telling me is, you _do_ eat, right?” Martin asked. “You’re not secretly a vampire?”

“I’m eating right now, Martin!” Jon insisted, pointing to his bitten sandwich.

“Alright, alright,” Martin said skeptically, “but sometimes I really do wonder.”

“I’m not secretly a vampire, Martin,” Jon said, smiling again.

They devolved into a comfortable silence after that. Jon was about to take the last bite out of his sandwich, when Martin spoke up again.

“So, I’m guessing classes are going well, then?” he asked.

“Only slightly,” Jon admitted. “Gertrude was not the best at organizing but I think there’s a method to her madness that I’m beginning to crack.”

“That’s good!” Martin said. “Sasha said as much. I guess I didn’t realize it would have this much of an effect on you.”

“What effect would that be, Martin?” Jon asked.

“Well, for one, you’re eating lunch,” Martin pointed out. Then his blush deepened. “And for another…well, it’s just I’m not sure I’ve seen you smile this much before.”

“Oh,” was all Jon could think to say.

“Not-not that you’re _meant_ to be smiley all the time,” Martin stammered. “It’s just that-that it’s nice to see is all.”

“Well, er, thank you, I think?” Jon said.

Martin let out a nervous chuckle. “You’re, um, welcome.”

They stared at each other for a moment, before Jon looked over Martin’s shoulder at the clock. “We should probably head back.”

“Yeah, probably,” Martin agreed, standing up.

That night, when Jon thought about the day, he couldn’t help but smile at the memory of Martin’s blush. After a moment of this, he frowned. _Oh no,_ he realized, _I think I’m falling in love with Martin._

> **Group Chat: ‘Lish Wist**
> 
> **Tim:** Congrats, Martin!
> 
> **Martin:** Why am I being congratulated
> 
> **Tim:** You finally got big boss Sims out of his office for lunch
> 
> **Martin:** Oh
> 
> **Martin:** Thanks?

After Jon made this realization, nothing changed. Well, that wasn’t quite true. Jon actually talked to Martin more. Case in point, last time Martin gave him tea, he actually drank it. _And_ he said good morning to Martin. Sure, Georgie would have something to say about these supposed differences, but they were _honest_ . They were _Jon_.

And Sasha, at least, noticed. She’d seen Jon say good morning to Martin and given him a smile. And now, as she walked into Jon’s office, she had the same smile.

“Can I help you, Sasha?” Jon asked, looking up from his laptop.

“I was just coming to drop off some notes for Polish Lit,” she said, holding up the papers. Jon took them from her but she stayed by his desk.

“Anything else?” Jon asked.

“Well…” Sasha began, grin widening. “I know you’re not the person to gossip—”

“No,” Jon interrupted, already regretting asking.

“ _But_ I’ve noticed things have changed between you and Martin ever since you two went to lunch a couple of days ago.”

“And?”

“ _And?_ ” Sasha scoffed. “You’ve been nothing but horrid to him the whole summer and he takes you out for lunch one day and suddenly you’re being _polite_.”

“I have not been _horrid_ ,” Jon scoffed back.

“Hmm, I seem to recall you telling me he was a—what was it?” Sasha pretended to think, then lit up. “Oh! A ‘useless ass’.”

“Yes, well, he _was_ , in that moment,” Jon sniffed. “And he wasn’t when we got lunch.”

“Oh, so you mean you finally talked to him and found out how sweet he could be?” Sasha raised an eyebrow.

“I talked to him before that, I just—” Jon sighed. “Look, I’m just…trying to be more forgiving.”

“Mhm,” Sasha seemed unconvinced but she began to walk away. “Well, while you’re trying to be more forgiving, maybe lay off Tim some more. He’s doing his best.”

“I really don’t think bringing a skateboard to a lecture is ‘doing his best’.”

“You know what I mean,” Sasha called over her shoulder before leaving.

Jon sighed when she left. He’d really have to be more subtle about his feelings for Martin.

That day, when it came time to leave—well, for everyone except _Jon_ to leave—Martin knocked on Jon’s door.

“We’re all headed out for drinks, d’you want to come with?” he asked.

“Oh, um, sorry, Martin, I’ve got to work on Polish Lit today. Maybe next time?”

“Oh, come on, you’ve been working on Polish for a week, you can give yourself a break,” Martin insisted.

Jon blinked. He _had_ been working quite a lot on one class. Maybe he _did_ deserve a break. Besides, he’d only gone with them to weekly drinks that one time and he’d enjoyed it.

“Tell you what,” Martin broke in, “if you join us for one round, I’ll walk you back here myself, alright?”

Jon couldn’t contain the barest hint of a smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Alright.”

Even Martin looked surprised at the speed of Jon’s answer. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Jon said, already standing up. Behind Martin, he saw Sasha bite her lip like she was holding back a grin.

Martin did _not_ hold up his end of the bargain. For one thing, before the first round was over, Tim insisted he pay for the second round and was not accepting no for an answer. For another, Jon, who was sitting unbearably close to Martin in the booth, kept drinking every time Martin’s leg bumped against his in an attempt to hide his blush. Martin’s leg was _constantly_ bumping against Jon’s, and Jon wasn’t sure if the warmth he felt was heat radiating off Martin or himself.

Too late into the third round, Jon realized he hadn’t eaten since dinner the night before, and even that hadn’t been much more than bread and some sort of nut butter he’d found in his cabinets. When everyone stood up to leave, Jon almost fell straight on to Martin.

“Whoa, boss, you alright?” Tim asked.

“’M fine,” Jon insisted, though he felt himself wobbling on his feet.

“You don’t look it,” Martin said softly. “Are you fine to get home on your own?”

“ _Yes_ , Martin,” Jon insisted, struggling to get into his coat while also trying his hardest to enunciate properly. “I said I’m _fine._ ”

“Why don’t you help walk Jon home, Martin?” Sasha asked. “Since you’re both going the same way.”

Jon sent what he hoped was a scathing look towards Sasha, who was looking at Martin and missed it.

“Um, okay, yeah, I can do that,” Martin said. “That is, if you don’t mind, Jon.”

Jon tried to roll his eyes and almost fell into Martin again. “Alright, fine.”

“You two get home safe now,” Tim said with a smile and a wink towards Martin that Jon was not perceptive enough to interpret.

“Goodnight!” Sasha said as she and Tim went their separate ways.

Jon walked with Martin down the street in silence because he was _fine_ like he’d _said he was_. They only got a couple blocks, however, before Jon tripped over a crack in the sidewalk. Luckily, Martin caught him, but Jon let out a groan of frustration that Martin misinterpreted.

“Are you getting tired?” Martin asked. “My place is only a couple more blocks down. Maybe you could stay there for the night.”

Honestly, the night couldn’t get any worse than it already was. “Fine.”

“Alright,” Martin had a weird note in his voice. “Alright, just try not to trip on the way there.”

Jon only grunted in reply.

Martin held his arm the whole way there, and Jon could feel the heat radiating through his coat. God, he loved Martin. When had this started happening? Georgie had noticed it a week ago, but it must have been before that, right? Still, it didn’t really matter did it? He was Martin’s boss. He’d been absolutely horrid to the man, and now he was in love with him. Worse, now he was drunk and walking towards Martin’s home where he’d be spending the night.

Great.

There was an awkward moment when they reached Martin’s apartment where they both stood in the entryway as Martin tried to decide whether he should let go of Jon or not.

“I can stand on my own, Martin,” Jon grumbled.

“You see, you keep saying that and then falling right after,” Martin said.

Jon sighed. “Fine, I’ll just hold on to this wall then.”

Martin chuckled at that and finally let go to get everything ready.

Jon stood holding onto the wall for a moment, but he spotted the sofa in the living room and suddenly felt as exhausted as Martin thought he’d been. He made a beeline for it and promptly passed out.

> **Group Chat: ‘Lish Wist**
> 
> **Sasha:** Did you get Jon home alright? I’m kind of worried about him
> 
> **Martin:** …
> 
> **Sasha:** What does that MEAN, Martin??
> 
> **Martin:** He’s...on my couch
> 
> **Tim:** Woohoo! Look at you go, Martin!
> 
> **Martin:** Not in THAT way Tim!
> 
> **Martin:** He passed out because he’s DRUNK OFF HIS ARSE
> 
> **Tim:** Still, I count that as a win
> 
> **Tim:** You’ve been mooning over each other for months
> 
> **Martin:** NOT TRUE! AND NOT FUNNY!

The next morning, Jon found himself covered in a blanket, his shoes somehow off, and with a massive headache. He could barely sit up but he forced himself to once he realized where he was. He was at Martin’s. On a Saturday morning. After spending the night.

Jon let out a groan as he sat up, then immediately regretted it, listening for any noises indicating that Martin had heard him. There weren’t any, so he quietly tried to put his shoes back on. In the middle of doing so, he noticed a note on the coffee table.

_Left you some food in the fridge. Thought you might like it after last night —M_

Next to the note was a glass of water and two painkillers. Jon couldn’t help but smile.

Shoes on, Jon walked over to the fridge, where he found a box. It had another sticky note with “ _For Jon :)”_ written on it. Jon found himself smiling through his now-lessening headache. He took the box and wrote under Martin’s first with a simple “ _Thank you —J”_ before leaving Martin’s apartment.

“Wait, wait, wait, that’s _it_?” Georgie asked.

“What do you mean ‘that’s it’?” Jon was nearly offended.

“I _mean_ you came to me all excited just to tell me you passed out on Martin’s couch and he was nice to you in the morning?” Georgie leaned back and sighed. “I was expecting some _gossip_ , Jon.”

“You know I’m not that type of person, Georgie,” Jon argued. “And besides, it was very...sweet.”

“Yes, because Martin’s a sweet man,” Georgie argued. “I could have told you that and I’ve never even properly met him. I don’t understand why you even hated the poor guy in the first place.”

“I keep telling you, Georgie, he’s a terrible professor,” Jon insisted.

“There’s something _more,_ Jon,” Georgie insisted right back. “I expected some gossip today, and I feel like you have some.”

Jon sighed and gave in. She’d get it out of him eventually anyway. Might as well quit while he was ahead. “There was...an incident.”

Georgie sat up. “Go on.”

“The first day I met Martin...he let a dog into the school,” Jon explained.

“ _What?_ ” Georgie gasped.

“Worse, he let it get all the way to our offices,” Jon elaborated. “Which I don’t understand because there are at _least_ three doors he’d have to open for that to happen. But he _insists_ it was an accident--that he was just petting it and it slipped past him.”

“Three times though?” Georgie asked.

“Exactly!” Jon exclaimed. “It slipped past him _three times_ and made it all the way to the offices, knocking over files, and...and it made a mess.”

Georgie gasped again. “No!”

“Yes,” Jon could feel himself getting angry again just thinking about it. “It was my very first day as the head of the English department, and I was already stressed as it was, and then _that_ happened. I’ve hated Martin ever since.”

“Until you didn’t,” Georgie corrected.

“Until I didn’t,” Jon agreed.

Lunch the next Monday was awkward. At least Jon thought so. They didn’t really talk at all at first, let alone about what had happened over the weekend.

“So,” Jon had said awkwardly when they had sat down and eaten their first few bites, “how was your weekend?”

“Good,” Martin said absentmindedly. “Yours?”

“Good as well,” Jon said automatically. After a pause, he added, “I felt better after the headache went away.”

Martin looked up, confused for a moment, and then inexplicably turned pink. “Oh, right. I had hoped the painkillers would help.”

“They did,” Jon assured him. “As well as the food. Thank you, Martin, seriously. You didn’t have to do that.”

Martin’s pink deepened closer to red but he shrugged. “What are friends for?”

Jon blinked and smiled in surprise. _Friends_. Georgie had told him to get more friends, and here was a confirmation that he’d succeeded. Sure, he was also in love with said friend, but--what was it Georgie would call it?--baby steps. They were important.

After that, the conversation got easier, and Jon felt the same as he had after their first. He smiled the rest of the day quietly to himself in his office.

Everyone noticed Jon’s improved mood the rest of the week. Tim winked at him more often, and Sasha was softer in their conversations. Martin, of course, was as cheery as ever. More than that, though, the students started opening up to him more--contributing more often and actually coming to his office hours. He’d heard snippets of gossip but didn’t care to actually listen in. He didn’t care. No, lately, all he cared about were soft sweaters and tea made just how he liked it. 

And lunch. Always lunch.

Jon actually began sticking to a regular eating schedule just to avoid the disappointed looks he got from Martin the days he said he wasn’t that hungry. He looked forward to eating, now that it entailed laughs and blushes from Martin. Both were easy to tease out of the man, even though Jon didn’t think he deserved them as much as he got them.

It was a curse, too, though. Knowing that he was in love with the man was excruciating. Every casual brush of the fingers set his skin aflame, and he felt as if he was blushing as much as Martin. Jon... _actually_ blushing.

Even worse, he was actually becoming friends with Tim and Sasha. While they didn’t often frequent the cafe on campus, they sometimes joined, and they actually got along. More than that, Jon almost enjoyed their presence--even Tim’s.

That Friday, in fact, Jon showed up to drinks. He was late, but he got there.

“Boss!” Tim had exclaimed upon seeing him. “You made it.”

“Yes, well, I’ve had a rough day,” Jon said. “I think I needed this.”

“Just try to hold your liquor better this time, yeah?” Sasha teased.

Jon rolled his eyes. “I will, I promise.”

“Ooh, a promise, boss?” Tim said. “Sounds like a challenge to me.”

“Tim don’t you dare get this man drunk for a second week in a row,” Sasha laughed.

“What’s the point of drinks then?” Tim asked.

As the two began to tease each other, Jon slid into the booth next to Martin. 

“And how are you, then?” Martin asked with an oddly formal tone.

“Well,” Jon answered.

“Do you need any help with your classes?” Martin asked. “You _did_ seem a little more stressed than usual lately.”

Jon couldn’t help but smile at Martin’s concern. “It’s nothing, really. Just gives me an excuse to get out.”

It was Martin’s turn to smile. “Yeah, that it does.”

“But I promise, I won’t be needing to crash on your sofa again tonight,” Jon insisted. “I do have _some_ self-control.”

“Shame,” Martin said with an odd tone to his voice. “I was almost looking forward to it.”

Jon felt himself blush fiercely at that, but in that same moment, the waitress had arrived at their table to take their orders, and Jon didn’t want to press the matter.

After that, the night went smoothly. Well, as smoothly as one can spend a night sitting next to their crush desperately trying not to get drunk again. Still, they laughed and drank and had an overall good time. Jon had _friends_. It was like he was becoming a new man.

Jon was in a mood. He’d had to skip lunch with Martin. He’d been teaching the 1800s Literature class on his own knowledge and with the silent agreement that he’d find the notes he’d need by the time he needed them. Now, the class he needed them for was coming up, and he _still couldn’t find the damn notes_.

At the worst time, there came a knock on the door.

“Martin, this really isn’t—oh,” Jon stopped himself when he actually looked up and saw who it was. “Come in, Sasha.”

“I really thought you’d given up on the whole ‘hating Martin’ thing,” Sasha said light-heartedly.

“It’s just been a very—it’s nothing I can’t handle,” Jon said before he ranted to his coworker. “Did you need something, Sasha?”

“Erm, you seem busy, I can—”

“Just looking for the 1800s notes,” Jon said dismissively. “It’s nothing I can’t—”

“Oh, Gertrude put 1800s with the Medieval notes,” Sasha said immediately, already opening the drawer and pulling out a folder. “I found them when I was looking for Chaucer.”

Jon could have kissed Sasha in that moment. “Th-thank you, Sasha. I’ve been looking for those for…quite a while.”

Sasha shrugged. “Happy to help!”

“But you came here for a reason.”

Sasha immediately began looking nervous again. “Well…I just wanted you to know…I guess I just wanted to say that while it’s been nice working under you and it’s nothing you’ve done…” She lowered her voice. “I’ve put in a transfer to the Education department.”

Jon blinked as his mind raced. Sasha was…not quitting, exactly, but transferring. Quitting the English department then. “Oh! Er, well, thank you for telling me.”

“Like I said, it’s nothing you’ve done—it’s not about you at all, really, Dr. Lukas just made me an offer and—”

“And you couldn’t turn it down. No, I get it, Sasha,” Jon assured her. “You will be missed, certainly, but I’m—I’m happy for you.”

“Oh, um, thanks!” Sasha said, blushing. “That means a lot to me Jon.”

“Have you talked to Elias about this?”

“No, not yet, though Peter—Dr. Lukas—mentioned Elias had already been considering a transfer of his own. A, um, Professor King, I think?”

“Ah, yes, I had heard about that one,” Jon sighed. “Well, I can pass along the news if you’d like.”

“No, I’ll tell him myself if it’s all the same to you,” Sasha said, backing towards the door. “It’s been nice working with you, Jon.”

“You as well,” Jon said to an already-closing door.

“And here,” Jon looked up to where his door was opening and Tim was speaking, “is where big boss Sim’s office is. Hi, Jon. This is professor King.”

“We’ve met,” Jon and Melanie said at the same time.

“Oh, well that’s just peachy,” Tim said with half the enthusiasm he would normally have. “I’ll leave you to give her the run-down of the English department.”

“Thank you, Tim,” Jon said as Tim shut the door. “Hello, Melanie, how are you?”

“Just peachy,” Melanie said with a wicked smile. “Tell me, Jon, why does everyone here already hate me? You tell them about me?”

“They don’t hate you, Melanie,” Jon sighed. “They just miss Sasha.”

“Oh, yes, the Great Sashsa,” Melanie said. “You’d think she was able to turn water into wine the way everyone here talks about her.”

“Yes, well, she was a good professor,” Jon sighed. “Now can I get started, or do you have more insights into my department you’d like to share?”

“ _Our_ department,” Melanie corrected.

Jon sighed again but before he could continue, there was a knock at the door. Martin, who by now had gotten comfortable entering without waiting for an answer, came in bearing two cups of tea. 

“Sorry to interrupt,” he said, “just finished making everyone tea and thought I’d bring it in before it got cold. Melanie, I wasn’t sure how you liked it, so I just made it black and brought sugar--”

“Thank you, Martin,” Jon interrupted. “Now if you don’t mind, I was giving Ms. King an introduction to our department.”

“Oh, yeah,” Martin said with a chuckle. “Just--you know, brought some tea.”

“Yes, we’re well aware of that fact.”

“Right…” Martin said. “Well, I’ll be going, then.”

Jon just nodded.

“Are you still on for lunch today?” Martin asked as he made his way to the door.

“No, I’m afraid I’ve got too much on my plate today,” Jon answered.

Martin nodded and closed the door. Melanie leaned forward, an odd expression on her face.

“That was Martin?” she asked.

“Yes,” Jon said warily, not sure what Georgie had told her girlfriend about his life.

Melanie just raised an eyebrow and said, “Alright then.”

“Do you have something to say, Ms. King?”

“You know I hate being called that, Jon,” Melanie warned. “And no. Georgie just told me...things. About him. And you.”

“Hmm, well let’s keep it professional, shall we?” Jon said, organizing a stack of papers absentmindedly.

“Sure, go right ahead,” Melanie said, though she clearly wanted to say something else. For once, Jon didn’t push her on it, simply gave her the basics of the English department. When he was done, he went back to work, trying to ignore thoughts related to Martin Blackwood.

> **Group Chat: ‘Lish Wist**
> 
> **Tim:** Welcome to the group chat, Melanie!
> 
> **Tim:** Where we talk only about work. Strictly professional.
> 
> **Melanie:** ‘Lish Wist?
> 
> **Martin:** Don’t ask

“Just checking again you don’t want me to get you anything from the café?”

“No, Martin, I’m far too busy.” Jon was still typing on his laptop.

“Okay…” Martin began to close the door but suddenly opened it again. “You see, you’ve been saying you’ve been busy for a month and I’m just a little concerned.”

“Yes, well, you know Gertrude. Ruined the whole department.”

“Well, yes…” Martin seemed agitated. “But that didn’t stop you before.”

Jon sighed and finally stopped typing. “Martin, could you please just—”

“No!” Martin closed the door behind him as he stood up straighter. “No, Jon. Look, I know you took Sasha’s transfer hard, but it’s not just you that lost a friend. We all did. And you can’t just hide away in your office forever.”

Martin was breathing heavily as he finished.

Jon just raised an eyebrow. “Are you finished?”

“Am I—” Martin looked like he was going to continue his rant but he deflated. “Yeah. You know what? Yeah, I’m finished.” He lowered his voice. “I’m done.”

Jon watched Martin go, and felt a chill run through him.

“Anything to add, Professor King?” Jon asked. They’d just been discussing the technicalities of Melanie taking over Sasha’s position, but they’d finished and Melanie had squirmed in her chair instead of getting up and leaving.

Melanie rolled her eyes at the formal address but didn’t bring it up, which immediately set Jon on edge. “Georgie asked me to talk to you.”

Now Jon was even more concerned. “About?”

Melanie huffed out a sigh. “She says you’re ignoring her texts.” Jon clenched his jaw but Melanie continued, “Which, honestly, _I_ don’t understand why she even talks to you in the first place. But you know how concerned she gets.”

“Yes, well, I’m sure you’ve told her I’m not in any sort of critical condition,” Jon said with an eyeroll.

Melanie shot him a glare. “Jon, I know we don’t get along, but Georgie cares about you. And I’m tired of hearing her complain about you.”

“Fine, I’ll talk to her,” Jon sighed.

Melanie paused, and then, “ _Are_ you alright, Jon?”

“I’m fine,” Jon said, though he couldn’t help but look away as he said it.

“Are you sure?” Melanie pushed. “Because Georgie says even before you stopped talking to her you were, I don’t know, distant, or something? And there’s this...air about the office. Like everyone is just trying not to fall apart.”

“If you’d like to put in a complaint, you can bring it up to HR,” Jon said harshly.

“That’s not--!” Melanie took a deep breath to calm herself. “You know that’s not what I meant. Look, if _I’m_ noticing you’re depressed, maybe you should talk to someone about it, alright? That’s all I’m saying.”

“I’m not depressed,” was Jon’s only response.

Melanie looked like she was going to say something else but instead just shook her head to herself and stood up. “Alright then. Just--answer Georgie’s messages.”

“I will,” Jon said to the door.

A few weeks later, someone knocked on Jon’s door whom Jon had never met before.

“Professor Sims, can we talk?” the man was tall--almost taller than Martin--with white hair and a large yet well-kept beard.

“Um, yes. Sorry, have we met before?”

“Apologies,” the man said with a genial smile. “I’m Peter Lukas. Dean of Education.”

Jon tried to keep his face neutral. “Ah, pleasure to finally meet you.”

“Likewise,” Lukas said cheerfully. “Sasha says hello, by the way.”

“That’s...nice,” Jon said awkwardly. “H-how’s she doing?”

“She’s getting along well, I think,” Peter said.

“That’s good,” Jon said. After a pause, he asked, “Is there anything I can help you with?”

“Right! Well, you see, one of your professors has come to me again.”

“Oh?” Jon tried not to sound strained. Who else wanted to leave the department?

“Yes, his CV isn’t great, so I was hoping you would be able to tell me more about…” Lukas looked at the folder in his hand. “...Martin Blackwood.”

Jon swallowed hard, and his mouth immediately went dry. “Oh, Martin...he, uh...well, he’s the poetry professor here.”

“So I’d gathered,” Peter said, though his tone was still cheery. “How’s his teaching style?”

“...unorthodox,” was all Jon could say.

“Really? How so?”

“He...well, erm, it’s difficult to explain. He sort of lets the students have free reign of the class? And his preference is Keats, which--”

“I don’t need his opinions on poetry, Professor Sims, I just need to know about his teaching style.”

“Oh, hm, well, then yes, his teaching style isn’t exactly what we’re used to in a university setting...is what I would say,” Jon ended abruptly.

“In a good way or a bad way?”

“Both?”

“Good, good,” Peter nodded and made to leave. “That’s all good to hear.”

“That’s-that’s it, then?” Jon asked.

“Unless there’s something else you want me to know about him?” Peter turned with his hand still on the doorknob. 

“I...no, that’s all,” Jon said.

“Alright. Be seeing you!” And with that, Peter Lukas was gone.

“ _What?_ ” Jon asked the empty office.

Later in the week, Jon found himself assaulted with a pillow.

“Georgie!” Jon exclaimed. “You’re being ridiculous.”

“No, I’m _not_ , Jon,” Georgie exclaimed right back. “You need to talk to him.”

“And say, _what,_ exactly?” Jon asked. They had to agreed to a movie night in Georgie’s flat since Melanie was out of town for the weekend. At some point during their conversation, Jon had mentioned his meeting with Peter Lukas. Hence the pillow assault.

“Tell him how you _feel_.” 

“And what exactly is that supposed to do?” Jon asked. “It’s not like that will stop him choosing a different career path.”

“It might!” Georgie argued. “Besides, you’ve been distant with _everyone_ since Sasha left, and Martin’s gotten the worst of it.”

“I haven’t been distant,” Jon lied.

Georgie looked at him.

Jon looked back.

“When’s the last time you went out to lunch with him?” Georgie asked.

Jon hesitated and Georgie gave him another look. “I’ve been busy!”

Georgie made to turn back toward the television. “Fine, Jon, if you don’t want to have a real conversation, we don’t have to.”

Jon rolled his eyes and stopped Georgie from turning the movie back on. “What would talking do? He’s already given Lukas his CV, and Lukas has shown an interest.”

Georgie put down the remote. “Nothing’s official yet, though, is it? Look, I know you’re emotionally constipated or whatever--don’t look at me like that, you _are_ \--but he needs to know how you feel.” Georgie sighed. “I don’t _know_ , be a romantic for once, Jon. _Show_ him if you can’t tell him.” 

“And if he doesn’t feel the same way?”

Georgie tilted her head and gave Jon another look.

“Don’t look at me like that, you don’t know for sure,” Jon pointed out.

“I’ve heard talk from Melanie,” Georgie argued. “I _know_.”

Jon had to physically restrain himself from asking what, exactly she’d heard. Instead, he said, “Fine, I’ll talk to him.”

“Thank you,” Georgie said with a satisfied grin, and they returned to the movie.

It was raining because of course it was. Jon couldn’t deny the romantic aspect of it, but in reality, rain was just miserable. Especially when you were taking a tube across town and you were in too much of a rush to grab your raincoat.

The trouble was, Jon couldn’t stop thinking about what Georgie had said about talking to Martin. He thought about it all night and all morning, until he came to the decision that this discussion couldn’t wait till work. He needed to tell Martin _now_ , or he’d lose his nerve. He hadn’t stopped to check the weather.

Jon found Martin’s address easily enough. He remembered from the time he’d spent the night. That and he’d looked it up on his phone. But getting up the nerve to knock was a different story.

Luckily for Jon, he didn’t have to worry for long.

“Jon?”

Jon whipped around to find Martin with a windbreaker on, holding a bag of groceries.

“Martin!” Jon exclaimed. “I’m sorry, I should have called.”

“Why are you outside my flat?”

“I-uh,” _Come on, Jon you can say it._ “Alright listen, Martin there’s something I need to say.”

“Well, can it wait till we get inside?”

Jon shook his head. “I can’t stay long. Look, Martin, the truth is…the truth is I don’t want you to go to Education. Because—because I…” Jon swallowed. Christ, why was this so hard? “I need you, Martin.”

Martin snorted. “You don’t need me as a poetry professor.”

“That’s not what—no, Martin, I don’t need you as a poetry professor. I need you in my life.” _Say it_. “Because I love you.”

Martin gaped at him. “You-you- _what_?”

“I love you, Martin, and I’ve taken too long to say it. Sasha left and I took it personally and then I got too inside my own head. But you’ve always been there for me, Martin. And I needed you to know that,” Jon finished lamely.

Martin blinked.

“Anyway, that’s all I came to say,” Jon said quickly. He began to leave, ignoring Martin calling his name after him.

> **Group Chat: ‘Lish Wist**
> 
> **Martin:** Um????
> 
> **Martin:** I think Jon just told me he loves me???
> 
> **Tim:** O.O
> 
> **Tim:** NO FUCKING WAY
> 
> **Sasha:** CONGRATS ON YOUR ENGAGEMENT

There was a knock on Jon’s office door. He tried to ignore it. The knock came again.

“Jon, I know you’re in there,” Martin--because who else would it be?--called through the door. “Can we just talk?”

Jon sighed and stood to open the door. When he opened it, Martin’s hand was raised to knock again. “Come in, Martin.”

Jon walked back towards his desk but didn’t sit down. Instead he leaned against it and crossed his arms.

“So…?” Martin began after closing the door.

“So?” Jon asked

“What do you mean, so? Jon what the hell was _that_?”

“What do you mean?” Jon asked, feigning ignorance.

“You know what I--” Martin huffed and tried again. “Jon, you can’t just show up to my house, tell me you love me out of nowhere and not expect us to talk about it.”

Jon looked down, his arms still crossed. “What is there to talk about?”

“Jon,” Martin almost growled in frustration.

“No, I’m serious, Martin,” Jon said. “I said what I said but you’re still leaving me for Education.”

“Wh-I-Who said anything about that?”

“I talked to Peter and he said you’d given him your CV,” Jon grumbled.

“I--okay, first of all, I did that because of Elias, and second, nothing’s official,” Martin argued.

“It’s not?” Jon met Martin’s eyes again.

“No! A-and besides we aren’t talking about work here Jon--” Martin stopped himself again and took a deep breath. “What you said, was it true?”

“What? You mean when I--”

“When you said you loved me, _yes_ , Jon.”

Jon looked down at the ground. In a small voice he said, “Yes, it was true.”

“Okay,” Martin said, letting out a breath like he’d been holding it. “Okay.”

“You don’t have to reciprocate--”

“Jon.” Martin seemed exasperated. “Ask literally anyone in this school who’s known me for more than five minutes and you’ll know that I reciprocate.”

Jon snorted. “That can’t possibly be true.”

“Jon, do you know how many times Tim’s had to tell me to shut up because I’ve gone on about you for too long? Or how many times Sasha had to tell me to focus because you’re across the room?”

Jon shook his head and Martin stepped forward to put his hand on Jon’s crossed arms.

“Trust me,” Martin said in a low voice. “It’s a lot.”

Jon licked his lips and Martin’s eyes dropped down to watch the movement. It was a split second, but Jon caught it. “So...if--if I asked you to stay here, in the English department, your answer would be--”

“A resounding yes,” Martin said with a laugh. His hand moved from Jon’s arms to his shoulders. “If you want me to stay, I’ll stay.”

Jon pretended to think about it. “Your opinions on poetry are pretty bad, Martin.”

Martin laughed. “Only because you hate all poetry.”

“Not true, I like _some_ poetry,” Jon argued with a smile. After they laughed for a moment together, Jon forced himself to say, in a low voice, “I need you to say it.”

Martin didn’t ask for clarification. He moved his hand up to Jon’s cheek and whispered. “I love you, Jon. God help me, I love you.”

Jon smiled.

“Can I--can I kiss you now?” Martin asked.

Jon nodded, and Martin began tilting his head down. Jon met him in the middle. Martin’s lips were warm, and Jon’s heart raced at the contact. He arched into Martin’s touch, holding his sides for balance. Martin let out a small noise of appreciation and Jon made a note to commit the sound to memory. Meanwhile, Martin had slipped his hand into Jon’s hair, and Jon let out a sigh of contentment.

They broke apart only far enough to catch their breath. Martin’s hands trailed down Jon’s arms and he pressed his forehead to Jon’s. His breath ghosted across Jon’s cheek, sending a shiver down the man’s spine.

“Was that, um, was that alright, then?” Martin asked quietly.

Jon chuckled lightly. “It was more than alright.”

“Cool,” Martin said with a smile. “Can I do it again?”

“Yes, Martin,” Jon sighed, already surging forward.

Their lips crashed together, and Martin lifted Jon onto the desk with an ease that sent thrills through Jon. For his part, Jon tried to balance himself and ended up sending papers flying to the floor. By then, though Martin’s tongue was warm in his mouth and Jon was far too focused on that to care.

“Martin,” Jon sighed as Martin switched to trailing kisses down Jon’s neck.

Just then, there came a knock on the door and the two of them nearly jumped out of their skins. Martin backed away and Jon hopped off his desk. He cleared his throat.

“Just a moment!” he called, hoping he didn’t sound different but knowing he did. Martin was hastily running his fingers through his hair as Jon picked up the papers. He threw them back on the desk and walked towards the door.

Of all the people who could have been knocking, it had to be Elias.

“Elias!”

“Surprised to see me, Jon? I am your direct superior,” Elias said. He looked over Jon’s shoulder. “Ah, hello Martin. Was I interrupting something?”

“No!” Martin and Jon said at the same time.

Elias looked back and forth between them.

“Martin and I were just, um, catching up…on what happened over the weekend,” Jon said quickly.

“Ah, I see,” Elias said. “So glad the two of you seem to be getting along. But, this is a place of business, and we need to be getting to it.”

“Right, of course,” Martin piped up. “I’ll be leaving then.”

“Actually, Martin, you were what I wanted to discuss,” Elias said. “May I come in, Jon?”

Jon startled and stepped aside at the same time Martin asked, “Me?”

“Yes,” Elias said as he stepped in and immediately took the chair opposite Jon’s desk and waved them both to sit down in the two unoccupied chairs. “You told me you’d been interested in shifting to an appointment in Education, correct?”

“Right, about that—” Martin said as he sat down.

“Well, it seems a position has opened up, as it were, and I was wondering if you were still interested?”

“Um,” Martin said glancing over at Jon before looking back at Elias. “Well, actually, no.”

Elias raised a single eyebrow. “No?”

“No, I’ve changed my mind about that,” Martin clarified. “I’d like to stay.”

“Ah. I see,” Elias said shortly, though there was the beginning of a smile on his lips as he continued, “Peter will be quite disappointed to hear it.”

“Yes, well, apologies and all, but I like it here well enough,” Martin said, getting more firm.

“Very well,” Elias said, standing up. “I’ll be seeing you around, then, shall I?”

“Yes, I supposed you will,” Martin said nervously, as if waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“Goodbye, then, Martin. Jon.” Elias said with a nod to both of them before walking out the door.

There was a long pause.

“Well, that was weird,” Martin said.

Jon wanted to say something intelligent, he really did, but all that came out was a long laugh.

> **Group Chat: ‘Lish Wist**
> 
> **Martin:** Welcome to the chat, Jon?
> 
> **Martin:** I can’t believe Tim added you
> 
> **Tim:** Now you guys are dating, he’s officially not as much of our boss
> 
> **Jon:** Not true
> 
> **Jon:** Also I hate the chat name

When transfer student Gerry Keay walked into class, Professor Sims was writing on the board, and the students behind him were all whispering furiously. Gerry’s friend Michael turned to him excitedly when he sat down.

“Professor Sims got married over the summer!” he whispered. “We’re all taking bets on who it was.”

“Who’s to say we know the person he married?” Gerry asked, getting out his supplies.

“Oh, come on,” Michael laughed. “We all know Sims doesn’t have a life outside this campus. It’s got to be one of the professors.”

“What are the bets so far?”

“Well, most of the class is betting on professor Stoker. There’s some betting on James since he freaked out when she transferred, and I think Katarina voted Dean Bouchard”

“What about Blackwood?” Gerry asked.

Michael scoffed so loudly that someone shushed him. “No way. They despise each other.”

“It could be a love-hate relationship,” Gerry argued. Confidently, he added, “I’m putting my money on Blackwood.”

Michael shrugged and looked like he was about to say something but the door opened just then. As if Gerry had summoned him, professor Blackwood appeared, carrying a bag. Professor Sims turned around at the sudden silence as professor Blackwood reached the front of the room.

“You forgot your lunch at home, love,” Blackwood said, handing over the lunch bag with a peck on professor Sims’ cheek. The room erupted into more loud whispering.

“Thank you, Martin,” Sims said, with absolutely no emotion behind his voice.

“No worries! Love you,” Blackwood said, preparing to leave. 

“I love you, too,” Sims said--again, with no emotion Gerry could discern--and turned back to the board.

As soon as Blackwood left the room, everyone began looking at each other with wide eyes. That included Michael, who was looking at Gerry like he had some sort of supernatural powers.

“How?” he whispered.

Gerry just shrugged. “It was written all over Sims’ face the first time I saw him in the same room as Blackwood.”

“Since _when_?” Michael hissed. Quickly, he shook his head. “You know what, nevermind. I know you didn’t officially make a bet, but I’m giving you five pounds tomorrow just for guessing.”

Later that night, Jon turned to Martin as they were settled on the sofa next to each other, Jon curled up to Martin.

“You did that on purpose today, didn’t you?” he asked.

“Hmm?” Martin had to look away from the television.

“You made me lunch today on purpose,” Jon repeated. “Just so that the students could gossip.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Martin said, but the corner of his mouth tweaked up.

“Martin, we have lunch together every day,” Jon laughed. “You could have brought it to me then instead of in the middle of a lecture.”

Martin’s mouth curved up into a real smile at that. “Alright, fine, you caught me. I just wanted to, you know, flaunt it a little.”

Jon shook his head. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Oh, you know you love me,” Martin teased.

“I do,” Jon said seriously, leaning in to give Martin a kiss. Martin met him in the middle, and it turned deeper than Jon had intended. He wasn’t complaining. Three years with the love of his life, and kisses from him still sent thrills through Jon.

“I love you, too,” Martin said softly when the kiss ended.

Jon smiled and kissed him again.

**The End**


End file.
